Powering Up Community Energy: How Local Leadership Can Drive the UK’s Net Zero Future

Image from CO2Sense and UK100 event

What does it take to put communities in control of their own clean energy future?

On Monday 12 May, CO2Sense and UK100 co-hosted the ‘Empowering Local Energy’ workshop at The Workstation in Sheffield. The event brought together over 70 participants including councillors, combined authority officers, community energy groups, national policymakers and finance experts. As a group they explored the practical steps needed to accelerate community-led energy projects across the UK.

The workshop aimed to move beyond rhetoric. Designed to foster collaboration, surface new ideas and unlock shared action, it focused on one of the UK’s biggest net zero opportunities: community energy. By aligning local knowledge, public leadership and catalytic funding, the workshop showed how we can make clean energy and lower energy bills a reality for more people and places.

Practical Insights for Scalable Impact

The session opened with insights from Christopher Hammond, Chief Executive of UK100; Councillor Ben Miskell, Chair of the Transport, Regeneration and Climate Policy Committee at Sheffield City Council; and Will Stewart, Director of Investment, Climate Change and Planning at Sheffield City Council. Together, they set the tone for the day – highlighting the growing momentum behind locally led energy action.

The workshop struck a strong balance between expert insight and practical discussion, with groups exploring key questions around what’s needed to power up community energy. Tunisha Kapoor, Research and Insights Manager at UK100, spoke about the growing public appetite for change. Helen Seagrave, Director at Great British Energy (GBE) provided valuable insights into progress and ambition within GBE. Thomas Day, Head of Energy and Low Carbon at Essex County Council, outlined the power of council-led support. Each contribution reinforced a shared message: with the right backing, local systems can cut emissions, build resilience and deliver lasting benefits to communities across the UK.

What Needs to Change: Four Key Themes

Breakout discussions invited attendees to share what’s working in their regions, what’s holding projects back and what needs to change. Four clear themes emerged:

1. Finance That Works for Places

Community-led initiatives often face a gap between available finance and local realities. Delegates explored how catalytic models, including Camco’s proposal for a new Community Energy Accelerator fund, which is supported by CO2Sense, can help de-risk early stages, attract further investment and support scaling projects for lasting impact.

2. Reforming Policy to Support Scale

Participants highlighted the need to reform Enterprise Investment Schemes (EIS and SEIS), which currently favour innovation clusters over towns like Barnsley or Grimsby. Local areas need access to the same tools to deliver energy justice.

3. Fairer Energy costs for Local People

There was strong support for locational energy tariffs to enable residents to benefit directly from nearby clean energy generation. Attendees urged GB Energy and the government to move at pace on this. 

4. Removing Legal Barriers to Collaboration

Complex legal agreements between public bodies and community groups slow progress. A popular idea was the creation of standardised contract templates, (similar to JCT or NEC models), to make it easier for local energy groups to partner with public sector organisations. 

Supporting Local Power with National Tools

To address the financing gap, CO2Sense is a cornerstone investor in a potential new pooled fund aimed at providing affordable and flexible finance for community energy projects. When launched this fund will help local groups get off the ground, access investment and scale for long-term impact.

“Our mission at CO2Sense is to power a just transition by making community energy easier to fund, scale and own. It’s about cutting carbon, strengthening communities and unlocking sustainable capital flows. These projects don’t just bring down bills, they build resilience and give people more control over their future.”
Portrait photo Hugh Goulbourne smiling.
Hugh Goulbourne
Director, CO2Sense

Looking Ahead: Building a Movement

The message from the workshop was clear: local leadership isn’t optional — it’s essential. With the right tools, relationships and investment, every UK community can power  and benefit from its own clean energy future.

CO2Sense and UK100 are committed to continuing this work, ensuring that local voices remain central to the UK’s net zero transition.

If you would like to discuss your local energy project, or learn more about the Community Energy Accelerator Fund, get in touch with Hugh Goulbourne at talk2us@co2sense.co.uk.

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